Enter- Cultivate- Stillness and Stability
When you become aware of silence, immediately there is that state of inner still alertness. You are present. Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle
Practices: Grounding, widening the base, opening the leg channels, strengthening the legs. Cultivating stillness, solidity and stability.
Actions: Pushing downward, extending roots, surrendering to gravity
Purposes: Foundation, Support, Stability
Yoga practice: The base of every pose but especially relevant to standing poses
Grounding the Four Corners
Grounding is not the antithesis of spiritual experiences; it is literally the root of it. Just as a plant must have deep roots in order to grow taller, your ability to root down into the ground will allow you to reach higher toward the upper body, establishing a firm foundation in the solidity of the earth begins the whole process of rising up the spine.
Each of the four corners of your foot represent the four directions- your body’s orientation in physical space. This takes you from “embodiment” to “emplacement".” It puts you in the world, oriented from your ground and from your core. Think of this as an “Audra of the feet” that establishes your foundation on the sacred space of your mat.
Roots have both masculine and feminine qualities; both aspects need to be activated, regardless of your gender. The masculine aspect pushes out from the seed, penetrating the soil. Here, you push downward from your feet, through your legs, then outward with your feet, spreading a wide base. The feminine aspect receives nourishment and moisture, drawing it upward through the roots- from the ground into the plant. This draws earth energy up the legs to nourish the rest of the body.
Isometric exercises, the muscle doesn't noticeably change length. The affected joint also doesn't move. Isometric exercises help maintain strength through legs and balance the pose from the center.
Basic Bioenergetic Grounding
To energize the roots, begin with a basic bioenergetic grounding exercise to open your leg channels. Use it at the start of your practice to wake up your roots and energize your legs.
Step 1: Firming your ground
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, pressing the four corners of each foot into the mat. Allow your heels to be slightly wider than your toes, making your feet just a little bit pigeon-toed, then press your feet downward as well as outward into the earth, as if trying to widen your yoga mat. Notice how your feet and legs become firm and grab on the the ground, giving your whole body a feeling of solidity. Keep the four corners of both feet grounded equally into the mat.
Step 2- Energizing your ground
Begin with your basic stance above, inhale and slowly bend your knees, keeping your shoulders directly over your hips. Exhale and slowly push through the core of each leg, pushing simultaneously downward and outward as you did above, imagining you are penetrating the earth with your roots.
As you push down and out through your legs, they will naturally begin to straighten. Be sure to do this slowly, and only let them straighten about 90 percent of the way, never lock your knees in this particular exercise, as it shuts off the charge you are trying to build.
As the trembling begins, observe what makes it increase: where, on the journey between up and down, does it tremble the most? How can you find just the right amount of relaxation and muscular energy to maximize the trembling? Can you surrender to the trembling and allow your feet to root down even deeper?
Energizing your roots
This is an essential and rudimentary pose that should be part of any practice. It stretches the entire backside of your body, especially the legs and lower back, and it massages the internal organs and helps detoxify the liver, spleen, and kidneys. It allows the torso to let go, increasing the upper back’s flexibility as well as stretching the hamstrings as it both opens, and releases.
Practice:
Start with feet hip-distance apart and parallel to each other, extend your roots down as you fold forward toward to your knees. Ideally, your legs are straights but your knees are not hyperextended or locked. If your knees need to bend a little, you can gently push them back over time, being mindful here not to push farther than the natural limits of your body
Breathing- Rise up half way with a long inhalation through your spine, on an exhale allow your torso to let go even deeper.
Energizing your ground -
Widening the base of your feet, then root down deeply to firmly engage your legs. Cross your arms then gently pull your legs toward each other as you stay grounded through four corners of your feet to cultivate your foundation. Release it whenever you are ready.
To lose our connection with the body is to become spiritually homeless.
Without an anchor we float aimlessly, battered by the winds and waves of life.
